Camera operating control



Patented Nov. 12, 1946 CAMERA OPERATING CONTROL George T. Burrell,deceased, late of Huntington Station, N. Y., by Helen Haughton Burreli,administratrix, Huntington Station, N. Y., assignor to Republic AviationCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Application July 26, 1943, SerialNo. 496,103

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in photographic apparatus,and/more particularly to a camera operating control mechanism forsuccessively exposing the individual frames of a photographic film.

Thisapplication is a continuation in part of the application of GeorgeT. Burrell, filed July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,069, and which maturedinto Patent No. 2,378,182 on June 12, 1945.

'The original application, of which this is a continuation in part,contemplates an apparatus that periodically and continuously photographsa flight test instrument panel during a test flight without anyintervention on the part of the pilot of the aircraft beyond initiallystarting the operation of the apparatus. Such apparatus includes aconstantly effective source of power, and the present invention has in'view an operating control that will utilize the power of saidconstantly effective source to cause a periodic and successive exposureof the'frames of a photographic film in the camera forming a part of theapparatus of the aforesaid parent application.

Photographic apparatus to which the improvements of this inventionrelate usually comprise a main spring which furnishes the power to drivethe film-release mechanism, and'a lever or other suitable means forefi'ecting exposure, of the film, one frame at a time. Heretofore, ithas been necessary to rewind the main spring manually after the roll offilm, or a substantial part thereof,

has been exposed, in order to prepare the camera for exposing the nextroll of film.

One of the objects of the invention is to protions to operate or drivethe film-release mechanism, and at a rate, or in an amount,substantially sufficient to restore to the spring the energy expended inreleasing the film, so that the camera will be in the same condition, inthis respect, at the end of the run as it was at the beginning.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, an embodiment thereof isshown in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation, lookingtoward the left in Figure 2; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation, looking toward the right in Figure 1illustrating the positions occupied by the parts of the instantinvention after a single exposure by the camera.

The reference numeral l1 designates, generally,

- a moving-picture or other. suitable type of camera The usual mainspring (not shown) is rewound by clockwise rotary movement of a crankit. This crank is provided with a slot 25a which receives the stud 25.Upon clockwise rotary movement of crank iii, the upper edge and end ofslot 25a engages stud 25, to push it down and accordingly effect releaseand exposure of one frame of the film. Return movement of crank IS inthe counter-clockwise direction permits stud 25 to return to its initialposition, where it again becomes effective, when pushed down as before,to release the next or succeeding frame of the film.

A rotary oscillatory movement may be imparted to crank l9 by anysuitable means. As shown in the drawing, such means may comprise atriangular plate 23 pivoted at 24. This plate is caused to periodicallyoscillate upon and from the continuous operation of an electric motor 20having a driving connection therewith through a slotted connecting rod22 and an eccentric 2i.

It is contemplated by the invention that any required play may beprovided for by using a universal or swivel Joint to connect the rod 22with eccentric 2|, and by having a sufllcient amount of play about thepin 28, fixed in plate 23, with respect to the edges of the slot 21 inrod 22. The throw of eccentric 2i is greater than the length of slot 21by an amount sufllcient to make the driving connection through rod 22effective. For example, in the other extreme position of eccentric 2 I,that is, one hundred and eighty degrees from the position shown in Fig.2, the lower end of slot 21 will be in engagement with the pin 28, andplate 23 will be raised, crank I8 will be in its extreme position in thecounterclockwise direction, and the stud 25 will be in its upper,initial position ready to effect release of the next frame. A pin 28,fixed in plate 23, has a sliding fit in a slot 29 with which crank I9 isprovided. By such means, the crank 19 is caused to oscillate upon andfrom oscillatory movement of plate 23.

With the parts in the position just described, 1. e. disposed at theopposite ends of the respective paths of movement to the positionsillustrated in Fig. 2, the continued movement of the eccentric It willcause the rod 22 to move downis exposed as above described. Manifestlythere-:-

fore the tempo of the film exposure can he accurately controlled byregulating the speed of the motor Ell. From the foregoing, it will beseen that the crank is, which is common with respect to the single-framerelease stud 25 and the main spring of the camera, is caused tooscillate at a rate equal to the rate or" rotation of motor fill. Forexample, if the adjustment is such that motor Eli rotates at the rate ofsixty revolutions a minate, the stud 25 will be pushed down to releaseand effect exposure oi'the film at the rate or one frame every second.

it will be understood that various changes, such as in the size, shapearrangement of the parts, may be made Without departing from th spiritof this invention or the scone oi the claims.

Having thus disclosed inventive concepts and one mode realizing thesame, what is as new and inventive is:

l. The combination with a s1 triangular plate pivot vertices, min andslot connec' c other vertex. of plate th said crank, an operating rod, 9nection between one extre rod and. the third vertex or the rotatingmotor, a disc on the and an eccentric connection extremity oi said rod.or rotation oi the latter: about its pivot in crank. in a clockwismainspring of the camera a; aforesaid stud to trip the rel e thecontinued rotation disc through remaining 189 oi cc 1331 revolution.thereof swings the plate about its pivot in the reve se direction tomove the crank. countenclocltwzse and restore the stud to its initialposition.

2. The combination with a spring driven motion picture camera having amain spring, a single frame release mechanism and a projecting stud forthe operation of the latter, of oscillatory crank connected to the mainspring ill 3. The combination with a spring driven motion picture camerahaving a main spring, a single frame release mechanism and a projectingreciprocable stud for the operation of the release mechanism, of anoscillatory crank for rewinding the main spring by its movement in onedirection and haivng means engaging the stud for controlling thereciprocable movement thereof simultaneously with the movement of thecrank in either direction, a constantly rotating motor, a disc operatingin unison with said motor, an operating rod eccentrically connected tosaid disc, and an intermediate oscillating member connected to theextremity of the operating rod and to the crank for imparting a fulloscillation to the crank upon each revolution of the disc and motoraforesaid.

i. The combination with a spring driven. motion picture camera having amain spring and a single frame release mechanism, of a stud pro--truding from the camera and reciprocaole to control said releasemechanism, an oscillatory crank for rewinding the main spring or" thecamera having means of cooperation with the aforesaid, whereby themovement of the crank in one direction to rewind the spring positivelymoves the stud to expose a single frame and the movement of th cran...in the opposite direction allows the stud to return to its originalposition, a com stantiy rotating motor, a disls rotating in unison I...motor. a pivotally mounted plate, pivotal connect rotation of the disccauses oscillation cth i oinatlon with a camera having a gle frame stud.movafle to control said release mechanism to expose a single of a crankpivoted to the camera and having a slot coacting with stud forcontrolling the operation thereof as crank oscillates on its pivot, andmeans for oscillating the cranir on its pivot comprising plate mountedosc -lation on a fixed pivot and con nected to the extremity of thecrank, a consta'" rotating him-oi", an O108"Ei3lllg rod eccei callypivoted to the shaft oi the motor at one of its ends and to the plate atthe other of its ends.

The combination with having single frame release mechanism and aprotruding stud reciprocable to control said release me nism to expose asingle frame, of a cranl; mounted for oscillation on the camera andhaving a slot engaging the stud to control the movement thereof in bothdirections as the crank oscillates, and for oscillating the crankcomprising a triangular plate mounted for oscillation on a fixed pivotat one of its vertices and having a oin and slot connection with theextremity i crank at another of its vertices, a constantly rotatingmotor, and an operating arm eccentri cally pivoted the shaft of themotor, at one of its ends and a pin and slot connection at the other ofits ends to the remaining vertex of plate.

EI-IELE'II i-IAUGHTON BURRELL, zlclmz'nistratria: of the Estate ofGeorge T. Bur/ell,

Deceased.

